Player MatchUp
by alitablake
Summary: Kyoko is appearing on a game show! Little does she realize that it is actually a dating game show with a surprise contestant. Rated T for safety.
1. The Show

**A/N: My husband had a weird dream and it inspired a story. It was about this game show he was forced to do by his friend. I love it so much I had to put my favorite couple in it and doesn't Japan do a lot of game shows with silly themes?  
**

**Now I'm a huge gamer. I play a lot of different games but I mostly stick to my MMOs and RPGs. But I do sometimes need a nice FPS (First Person Shooter) to ease some stress from work. Shooting people up in a fast pace game is awesome! So this story touches another part of my life. I hope you guys enjoy it even with all the gaming references. **

**I do not own Skip Beat.  
**

Chapter 1

It was 5pm and Kyoko was done for the day. She had finished the acting class and was just gathering things from her locker from the Love Me room, when she heard a voice that always seemed to do strange things to her. It always depended on the aura on the person that would determine how she reacted but today it was almost normal, she felt that he was in a good mood.

She turned to her right and bowed, "Good Evening, Tsuruga-san, Yashiro-san." She smiled up at them sweetly as she fought not to cringe at the brilliant smile she was getting from Ren.

"Are you heading home, Kyoko-chan?" Yashiro asked. She nodded and Ren found his cue.

"May I give you a ri…" Ren was interrupted as he saw Kyoko shake violently. "Mogami-san?"

Kyoko was digging into her bag, "Eeeeeexxxxuuuuuussssseeee mmmmmeeeeeee," She found her phone and answered.

"Hello? Ah Sawara-san, Could you give me a moment, please?" She turned her face towards Ren and bowed down again. "I would love a ride, Tsuruga-san. Please excuse my rudeness for taking this call." She didn't stand up till he pat the back of her head lightly.

"I understand, Mogami-san, please take your call and I'll take you home." She straightened up and smiled then put the phone to her ear. She was listening intently as she followed Ren and Yashiro out to his car. They kept quite not wanting to interrupt her conversation but also to listen in which Ren would deny out loud but admits that he was interested in everything she did.

"No, I haven't," Kyoko finally spoke as they reached the garage. "No, I don't," more listening.

"Yes. When is the show?"

"Four days? Hmm I think I could learn in that time. Are you sure it's ok?" They reached the car and unlocked it. She nodded, thanking Sawara and hung up. She smiled at the two men waiting for her and then blushed as she noticed the door was opened for her.

"I'm so sorry that took so long." She stepped into the car and they left the lot.

As always Yashiro was the first to ask, "Are you going to do a show?"

"Hai! It's a game show and they wanted an actress for their next contestant. Sawara-san told me it was very popular right now and would be good publicity for me. The only problem is that it's about video games, and I'm afraid I haven't played those before."

'Then why did you accept, Mogami-san?" Ren was watching her as he could through his handy rearview mirror. She always sat right where he can see her, he often wondered if she did this on purpose.

"Well," she blushed again looking at her lap, "I was told never to reject a role if you can do it. I had the time so I should definitely agree!" She had a look of determination that he loved to see in her.

She continued, "It's just a game show, and it will help my career so I should do it. Sawara-san said they could provide me with some games to practice on till the show, and even time to practice. I can pick them up tomorrow morning."

Yashiro had a look of concern on his face. 'It couldn't be that show, could it?' He had to ask.

"What is the name of the show, Kyoko-chan?" He waited in bated breath for her answer.

"Player Match-up"

Yashiro sighed, it was the dating show. 'Should I tell her?' The car door closing answered his question for him as he saw Kyoko beside him leaning over and saying goodnight to both of them. Ren took off before Yashiro could take a breath to say anything.

"What is Player Match-up?" Ren asked curiously. Yashiro looked at his charge and again debated on whether or not to lie or tell the truth.

"Yashiro-san, you sighed when she said that, I know you know what it is and that I won't like it. Why won't I like it?" Ren's demeanor got brighter and more fake as he spoke acting like he didn't understand Yashiro's hesitation.

Yashiro sighed and surrendered, "It's a dating show for gamers. They take people who seriously play games on their free time and match them up with other gamers. They will take one person and give them three choices to pick from, based on how they play they pick one and win a date with the guest." Yashiro paused and looked over to Ren and sighed again. Ren went passed his gentlemen's smile and sat there brooding.

"My guess is Kyoko-chan is the guest star for the show. It's sort of brand new and they probably don't have the money to back up a bigger star but it is growing fast. Almost all of the teen demographic plays video games of some sort. This is a great thing for Kyoko to appear on. It would get her face out there for her generation to notice her more."

"Can you get me on her show?" Yashiro already had his gloves on and his phone out.


	2. Practice, Practice

Chapter 2

Kyoko was in the Love Me room setting up the equipment Sawara-san gave her and she was failing miserably when Kanae walked in. Kyoko was on her hands and knees behind a TV set, tangled in various cables.

"Mo, what are you doing?" Kanae bent over Kyoko and regretted asking. Kyoko looked up with big bright teary eyes.

"Moko-san! Help!" Kanae rolled her eyes and set her purse down; she gracefully kneeled down beside Kyoko and looked at what she was doing. It was a gaming system, one she was actually familiar with.

"I got this for my family. I was hoping it would distract them from bothering me if I bought them something that most kids played with. Here." Kanae leaned forward and went to work.

Kyoko watched her best friend in amazement as she quickly set up the system. She knew where everything went and had it running in a matter of seconds. Then there was a black controller thrust into Kyoko's hands. Kyoko looked down at it confused.

"You're good now, everything seems to be working." Kanae nodded, pleased with herself and then looked at Kyoko. She was looking at the controller like she was from the feudal era, then she looked up at her with the look of desperation.

"Mo... Ok! Here." Kanae explained how the system worked, the menu, the functions and the current game which happened to be a command style game. After 30 minutes, Kyoko got the basics and they were playing a game together. Kanae actually found this interesting, taking charge and building troops then sending them in to fight, each of them having their own special skill and watching them destroy the enemy base.

"What is this for anyway?" Kanae asked as she defeated a small supply camp of Kyoko's.

"It's for a game show called Player Match-up. I'm the guest for it and I have to play some video games with three challengers with a par…" Kyoko suddenly snapped her head to Kanae. Kanae didn't notice as she was busy destroying Kyoko's main base.

"HA!" Kanae cheered victoriously and then looked at her friend finally and was frozen, dread filling her.

"Moko-san! Be my partner! I need a partner to play the games with and you know how to play. I was going to ask one of the Ishibashi guys to help but I'd prefer you. Please, please, please, Moko-san!" Kyoko was clinging to her waist and she would have pushed her off if she could even move.

"MO!" she gave in "When is it?"

Kyoko bounced up and smiled blindly bright, "Thursday night, 7-9pm" Her eyes were so big and bright, they were full of hope and admiration for Kanae, her hand were weaved together in prayer as Kanae thought about her schedule.

She slummed over in defeat, "I'm available." Kyoko seemed to fly into air and around the room in over-excited joy. Kanae was able to move again so she stood and went to her locker to get dressed in the cursed clothing.

"I can't believe you said yes to a dating show. I would think you would stay 1000 yards away from that." Kanae spoke as she zipped up.

Kyoko deflated, "Da..ting?"


	3. Round 1

Chapter 3

Kyoko and Kanae entered TBM Studios, where Kimagura Rock was shot, at ten till 7pm. She was embarrassed that she didn't notice the posters of the new show decorating the studio before as Bo. It's been about three months since the show started and now that she really looked, they were advertised everywhere.

Kanae wore a snug maroon V-neck sweater dress with ¾ sleeves; it hit her just above mid thigh. It was simple but the color made her dark hair and fair skin shine and her beautiful body filled the dress out making it look more elegant that it really was. She wore dark brown stockings with black boots.

Kyoko wore a white double-layered knit dress with ¾ sleeves that fit her leaner frame. It had a row of silver snaps that ran down the center of it hiding from view. It had a curved neck line stopping just above her breast, the first and last three snaps were undone showing the under layer of the dress. Kanae said it made the dress look more inviting. She didn't quite understand but she went with it. The skirt was a little shorter then Kanae's but hugged her body just the same. She finished off with a pair of white knee high lace-up boots with a small heel.

They were taken into a small room where they found a gaming system hooked up in front of a couch. As soon as they entered, a man followed them in.

"Ladies! Which one is Kyoko?" He looked at both of them and Kyoko bowed down.

"I'm Kyoko." The man whistled and shook his head.

"I'm afraid the audience is going to have a hard time picking who the guest star is, the cute yet provocative girl next door or the mysteriously beautiful siren." Kyoko would never dare compare her looks to Moko-san's but she kept quiet as the man continued to talk.

"Kyoko-chan, we have set up the three games the challengers will be picking from. You have an hour to play and get to know them. Your agency said you did play games right?" He looked hopeful and worried at the same time.

She hesitated but nodded, "Hai"

"Good! Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't introduce myself. I'm Sasaki Aito, the producer of the show. Thank you, Kyoko-chan for doing this." He turned to Kanae and gave her a questioning look, "I know I've seen you before but.…"

Kanae introduced herself, "Kotonami Kanae. I'm also an actress with LME."

He bowed down politely, "Thank you Kotonami-chan for coming as well. With the both of you beautiful girls on our show our ratings will rise, not to mention the surprise challenger." His smile was HUGE. He looked like he was on the edge of his seat, he had so much energy.

"Surprise challenger?" Kyoko asked, she wasn't told that there was something special with the show. After hearing it was a dating show, she marched over to Sawara and asked what the show was about.

Apparently it was true, they focused on getting gamers together, they would play a game against each other showing how well they played, how well they listened and of course showing a glimpse of their true personality. While they were playing, the guest would tell the contestant details about him or herself and after the game was over, the contestant had to repeat those details. Once that round was over, she would pick one to eliminate and the other two would then compete against each other for a chance to talk to her personally.

They would win an all-expenses paid for date that was picked by the audience and viewers, they had three options to pick from and then they would go on the date with the most votes. It could be bowling or movies or dancing. On a later show they would recap from one of the daters to see how the date went and if there was a second date coming up or not.

Why was Moko-san here? The guest has a friend who helps them pick out the date, and helps them play. To make things fair, the contestants also had friends to help them play.

Sasaki-san left the two girls alone with snacks, drinks and the three video games for tonight's show, a first person shooter, a command style and a fighter style. Kanae eyes sparkled a little at the command style game but Kyoko enjoyed the fighter style herself. After spending most of her time learning the different types of games, she spent most of the last day on Extreme Fighter 5.

The hour went quickly. They made strategies with both the command style and the shooter game to work together and the fighter was a tag team style which they really couldn't plan much for. Kanae was impressed how quickly Kyoko took to the games. She was happy that they were on the same team this time; she would definitely give her a run for her money now if they were to play against each other.

There was a knock on the door at five till 8, it was a stagehand to pick them up. They downed their bottled water and followed him out. The stage was impressive; they divided the area into two sections. The first was where the guest and their friend would be playing. There were two gaming systems set up on two flat screen TVs with a tall chair in front of both of them. Their profile would be facing the audience as they played then they could swivel the chair forward when speaking, but behind the gaming systems was a room. It was completely sealed off from view. Above the stage was a huge projection screen, the size of a theater screen.

"Sit here, ladies," The stage hand gave Kyoko a headset after testing it quickly. Then he handed her a remote with a special attachment on it. Looking over at Kanae she didn't have a headset and her controller looked normal.

"Push the button when you want to talk to the challenger. You need to talk to him during the game telling him details about random things. Anything you want. Keep it clean." He demonstrated how it worked for her. It was within easy reach and didn't seem to impede anything of the controller.

"This is yours, Kyoko-san and this one is yours, Kotonami-san." He pointed at their respective consoles, "Good luck." They watched as he quickly left, the host was then cued to start.

"Welcome gamers!" The cheers arose as expected, "Tonight is a special night for we have a few surprised in store for you viewers. First let us introduce tonight's Champion, Kyoko from LME!" The room went dark and the screen from above lit up.

There she was in her commercial with Moko-san frolicking in the grass, then it focused on her face and morphed into the angel she played in Sho's PV. She tried to keep the smile that she had at the first shot of her and Moko-san on her face. The image quickly changed to her as Mio in Dark Moon then finally as Natsu in Box-R. The lights returned after the two minute tribute to her and she had a faint blush on her cheeks as the crowd cheered again.

"There you have it folks, we have that beautiful actress playing for us tonight." His arm swept to draw attention to Kyoko. She stood and bowed down lightly with a nervous smile on her lips. Kanae sat quietly to the side with her legs crossed looking bored.

"As always, the lovely Kyoko and her partner, Kotonami Kanae another beauty from LME, will be playing against three of her fellow gamers; one of the lucky guys will get to take her out on a date of your choosing. Where they go from there, it is up to them. Tonight will be different folks, we have an extra special challenger joining in the competition and we are forced to black out the challenger room. Due to his fame, we want to make things fair so all their names will be changed as well as their voices from our Champion, but you the viewers will get to meet him soon!"

Kyoko frowned lightly and the special announcement, she still wondered who the special challenger was but since she wouldn't find out till the end, she had no choice but to just wait. Everyone waited patiently as they were filming the challengers, then suddenly the crowd in front of them let out a deafening scream as they all watched the a smaller screen being show just to them. Whispers and giggles where filling the room, Kyoko tried to understand them but they were simply too far and too many to get anything out of them before the host started up again.

"Exciting isn't, bet you didn't see that coming. Remember don't tell our Champion, she has to pick one of them off of tonight's games." There was an eagerness emitting from the crowd but they held their tongue.

"Now for our first Challenger, Hakama Takashi." The crowd clapped and whistled as the man and his partner walked in from the right of the stage and straight into the challenger room. Since Kyoko and Kanae were on the other side, they couldn't see anything but clapped as the audience clapped. The viewers could see everything, with the camera in the room being showed to them on their personal screen.

A deep voice was heard overhead, "Hello everyone, Kyoko-chan." Hakama's edited voice filled the area.

Kyoko hurried to reply, "Good Evening, Hakama-san."

The host smiled, "As challenger they get to choose which game to play." The screen above them filled up with the three games they were introduced to earlier, "From there we will state the rules and begin"

The deep voice spoke again from the little room, "Fist of Fury" It was the fighting game and Kyoko grinned.

"Ooo, the Champion likes that choice! Alright this is a tag team game. The first player will fight and once one of them dies the other will take over. Either player can play first; last one standing wins, should the timer run out, the player with the most life wins. Best two out of three wins. Are we ready?"

"Yes," Hakama answered then Kyoko. Kanae is to play first. They found this one to be her weakest and Kyoko's strongest. She picked a fighter with a lot of projectile abilities. Kyoko watched her fight as the crowd watched over the large screen above them. She remembered she had to talk; she looked at the remote and pushed the button down.

"Hello" She said tentatively.

The deep voice came through her head piece clearly and it sounded like he was smiling.

"Hello, Kyoko-chan. How are you tonight?" Kyoko could hear the sound of the controller buttons.

She smiled, "I'm good. I thought I would tell you about myself."

There were yells and cheers as the fighters did clumsy mistakes or special movies. She told him she grew up in Kyoto, how old she was, when she started acting and then a little about why she is acting. Kanae did well trying to keep away from them, slowly dwindling the opponent health down but she was overpowered by a knockdown combo move.

"One player down! Tag In!" The host yelled.

Kanae was flustered and a little angry, "Kill em!" She told Kyoko as she sat back in her chair. The words, "New challenger" fluttered across the screen as she hit start. She choose a close up fighter with only one projectile but a heavy hitter in close range. She spoke less while she fought, but she mentioned where she went to school and what grade she was in before killing their first team member.

"Oh! Nice Combo! Tag In!"

Kyoko didn't give the new challenger a chance to make a move before she rushed in to an air combo taking out 70% of the player's life. The crowd cheered and whistled after that and she heard the Hakama say 'wow' softly. The second player moved around the screen a little and gained a few hits on Kyoko but was quickly defeated. Kanae gave Kyoko a high five for winning the match and Kyoko was beaming with joy at the friendly contact.

They played again and this time Kanae was better, defeating the first player on her own. She quickly died to the first attack of the second however. Kyoko took over and slaughtered the second player without much effort. Since she won the first two rounds, the match was over.

"That was brutal! What a match!" The host cued up a replay of the match, showing the most impressive combos and deaths. The crowds went wild when they showed the air combo again.

Hakama's voice filled the area, "Great match. Maybe you can teach me that move and we can have a rematch!" The crowds all "ooo"d at the challenge, as they calmed down the questions were now asked.

"She will now ask three questions from her statements during the fight. Let's see how well he paid attention."

"Where did I grow up?" She asked matter of factly.

"Kyoto, a lovely place that raised a lovely girl."

Kyoko blushed lightly and asked the next question, "Why did I choose to act?"

"To find yourself. I would love to help you discover yourself if you'd let me." There were cat calls coming from the crowd emphasizing the innuendo.

"Last question, how old was I when I started acting?"

"The sweet age of 15."

"No, I'm sorry, I was 16."

The host interrupted, "Oh! Strike one! Hopefully that isn't enough knock him out of the running. Thank you, Hakama Takashi" The audience clapped as he left.

A commercial break was announced and they were left to wait.

Kyoko turned to Kanae where she was staring at her intently, "Something wrong, Moko-san?"

"How did you get so good at that game? We only played it for 10 minutes and you didn't do any of those moves with me."

Kyoko blushed, "I really didn't have time to and I was letting you learn the game. I noticed the character had the same moves as the one I played yesterday."

Kanae was reminded just how scary her best friend/rival was when learning new things. She sometimes forgot but today was just another example that she should not let herself underestimate Kyoko. The break was over and it was time for the second challenger.

"The second challenger is Jo Mamoru." The crowd clapped and cheered as the new challenger entered. It was a little louder than the first one so perhaps this is the special guest.

"Good Evening." The voice sounded cultured and smooth.

"Have you decided what you wanted to play? Remember you can pick any of the three we have, you may even select Fist of Fury again." The host asked Jo.

"General's March."

"Yes!" Kanae whispered and picked up her controller. "Just follow my lead, Kyoko." Kyoko nodded and gripped her controller.

"This is a co-op commander style game. You will start off with a fully equipped town with the same amount of troops in each base. You have ten minutes to destroy the town hall of your opposing team. Just the town hall has go down, nothing else matters, once again if the timer runs out, the team with the highest health wins."

Kyoko was pink and Kanae was red, while Jo was blue and his partner was purple. Kyoko started with a greeting, which he politely replied back. She started to talk about her hobbies.

"Since I was young, I loved to go on hikes and spend time outdoors. I loved to read fairy tales too." She released the button to stop transmission. Kanae barked out orders to Kyoko. She was to flank the left area with her tanks drawing out his troops while Kanae took a saboteur in to take out their anti air defenses.

She hit the button again, "I love to cook and I run. I love cosmetics and wish I had more than the lovely set Moko-san gave me. I also enjoy creating things like jewelry." She let go of the button again. Kyoko had lost most of her tanks and was trying to draw his troops away from his town.

"Ok now!" As per Kanae's plan, Kyoko targeted her bombers as did Kanae; they ordered them to target the town hall. The challenger pulled back his troops to try and cover the defenses that they took out. They filled the area with smaller troops that weren't as affective as the missile turrets Kanae destroyed but they could still reach air units.

She pushed the button again as they drove the rest of their troops over to the enemy base to try and take out anything they could. "I'm currently working part time at a restaurant where they allow me to experiment with different recipes. They are so very kind. I've been with them for almost two years."

Kanae had most of her tanks and foot solders still so they were beating down the enemy army quickly. The first few bombers were killed but the rest flew through and bombed the town hall taking it down to a sliver of life.

"Damn!" Kyoko was stunned to hear Kanae enthusiasm but couldn't say anything as she ordered Kyoko to focus every thing on the hall. It felt like seconds when the town hall collapsed.

They could hear a loud bang through her headset as they won the match. Kyoko was thankful that the room in front of them was sound proof.

"Wonderful strategy by Kotonami-chan! Kyoko-chan, lets start the three questions."

"Where do I currently work part time at?"

"A restaurant." His answer was very short and to the point. He seemed almost angry. Kyoko noticed Moko-san frown making her victory glow short lived.

"Um… List two things I enjoy doing."

"Hiking and Cooking." He was obviously upset by the loss and Kyoko wanted to stop talking to this person, even if he was the guest star, he was being very rude.

"What did I enjoy reading as I child?"

"Fairy tales."

Kyoko smiled politely to the host, "All correct." The host smiled his big pearly smile and thanked Jo Mamoru then introduced the last challenger.


	4. Surprise Challenger

Chapter 4

Ren was watching everything from the back room where the challengers could watch what the viewers were watching. He couldn't help but smile as she beat the first contestant horribly. There was a look in her eyes; he could have sworn she was picturing Fuwa as the other fighter.

When she asked her questions, he was able to answer all of them without having to pay attention. It was innate in him just absorb what she said and did. Nothing she said was new to him.

Once the second guy came into play, he figured that he would win the command style game, but he noticed that he underestimated his opponent and fell for the straight forward attack Kyoko did. Kotonami-san snuck in with her spy and did the damage that needed to be done and Ren knew that the girls won. After watching Kotonami's expression when playing that game he was a little worried about his choice.

Yashiro was his partner which seems like a bad idea but once he asked, Yashiro just smiled, "Don't worry about it. I've got your back."

Ren whispered to his manager, "After watching that I'm not sure we should do General's March. What do you think?"

Yashiro looked up at the screen then cocked an eyebrow, "You want to win?"

Ren looked down at him with an odd expression, "Of course, why wouldn't I?"

Yashiro thought for a moment then simply stated, "Farsight, pick Farsight." Yashiro stated then pulled out his handy gloves as they were called onto the set.

"Now introducing your final challenger, Fujiwara Ryuu."

Ren walked onto the state where he just saw a dark walled room with the door opened in front of him. He waved his hand to the crowd and they all shifted in their seats trying to contain their excitement. He was told that they were signaling the crowd to keep their cheers down to a minimum as to not give away which challenger was the star.

He smiled and walked into the room. The door closed behind him and all sound was killed around him. He heard the hum of the electronics and air conditioning that was cooling the room. There were two chairs with a remote on each. Yashiro already gloved up, picked up the remote and sat down. Ren picked his remote and noticed the extra push to talk button on it, beside the remote was a head set as well. He was shown how to use the equipment in the back room with the other challengers.

He put the head set on and looked up at the screen; there he saw Kyoko and Kotonami waiting patiently in their seats. She looked beautiful in that little white dress. He did think it was a bit short and wished she would wear it in a more private setting but he had to squash that thought.

Ren pushed the little button on the remote, "Good Evening everyone." His voice sounded lighter than normal almost younger. He smiled and kept up his persona. There was a camera with a mic in front of him that would allow the viewers to see and hear inside the room.

He heard the sweet chimes of Kyoko's voice fill his ears, "Hello, Fujiwara-san." Ren couldn't help and smile a little more real as he thought of how formal she always is.

"Are you enjoying yourself, Kyoko-san?" Since Kyoko was her stage name he was actually allowed to use it without her reprimanding him; however, to make her feel better he did use the honorifics.

"Yes, this is a lot of fun." He watched her smile and nod to the room. She was so charming.

The host asks his normal question, "Have you decided what you want to play?"

"Yes, Let us play Farsight." Ren replied.

"Alright! It's time for the hunt! This is a first person shooter. The goal is simple; kill both members of the opposite team. There are plenty of places to run, climb and drop into for cover. Remember folks, you have ten minutes to kill your foe; should the timer run out, the team with the first person to die will lose the match. Just a reminder, one shot to the torso or head and that is game over!"

Ren and Yashiro were able to pick out their own weapons. Their avatars were covered in camo with red belts, Kyoko and Kotonami's were blue. As soon as the game started up and their characters were loading, Yashiro told him the plan.

"You will run towards them and draw them out to the south, you remember that spot with slight overhang earlier?" Ren nodded. Everything was loading and Ren was making his way over to the girls as Yashiro moved south and continued, "take them there. I'll take care of the rest."

Ren glanced at Yashiro but was quickly distracted as Kyoko's voice filled his head. "Good evening, Fujiwara-san. I do hope you enjoy tonight's game. No hard feelings whatever the outcome, yes?"

He smiled, she was worried since the last challenger got angry for losing, "None at all, may the best player win." He saw them on his screen; they were sticking close together, covering every possible angle, watching each other's backs. They were already moving west where the guys' spawn point was but he needed them to go south.

"Well, a little about myself." Kyoko started to talk, she didn't want to talk about the same things each time so she was trying to think of new things to say. "My birthday is..." Ren smiled 'December 25' he said to himself as she said it. He ran across an open area and had to dive behind an obstacle as shots were fired at him the moment he appeared.

"There you are." Ren heard Kyoko say to him wickedly. He was shocked, she was baiting him. Kuon slipped in and he grinned. Making sure the button wasn't pushed; he turned slightly to speak to Yashiro.

"They are getting cocky. She is teasing us. You sure we can defeat them?" Yashiro's screen was zoomed in, he was using a sniper rifle and it wasn't fluctuation at all. His thumb on the tiny joystick was very slightly moving adjusting for the minor wavering of his avatar. Ren was shocked but couldn't say anything of it as more shots were fired towards him.

"My blood type is B so once I have my eye on something, it's difficult for me to let go." Ren understood that one. She was always too focused on her goals, even ones he wished she would just forget. "Some of my favorite foods are hamburger, soft tofu, clear soup and grilled fish."

Ren was running, dodging, and jumping trying to avoid getting shot long enough to reach the destination spot. As soon as he reached the spot, he jumped down to a lower level and was shot in his right leg. The game was detailed enough that he couldn't use his leg anymore. He crawled his character to the edge just below the drop off and pointed his gun up towards the ledge.

Suddenly he noticed movement above his head and angled his gun towards it. First came then gun then the person looking down, Ren shot off his gun and got her arm and not a moment later there was another shot and the person fell from the ledge landing next to him.

"HEAD SHOT!" The host yelled out at the same time Yashiro whispered, "Gotcha." The male avatar was dead and therefore the ammo and gun were available for use. There was only one left but she was hiding behind a wall.

Yashiro's eyes were glued to the screen as he spoke, "You need to draw her out, crawl out and see if you can get her to leave her spot."

"I can barely move… how am I going to do that?"

"Just move to the open area next to her."

Ren looked at Yashiro for a moment, "You're trying to kill me!"

Yashiro sighed but shook his head, "Trust me, I'll get her before she gets a shot off."

Ren took a deep breath and moved his avatar forward. The guy crawled down to the edge of the wall but before he could move out, the remaining girl rolled out and shot him dead.

"And the first from the challenger's side is down. OH but what perfect bait! Looks like the girls fell victim to their sniper and what beautiful snipering that was. That is the steadiest hand I've seen in a long time. I want that guy in my team."

Ren turned in his seat and looked at Yashiro. He was grinning like the cat that ate the canary. Yashiro noticed Ren looking at him and he coughed lightly.

Ren raised an eyebrow, "So this is what you do on your free time, eh?" Yashiro just smiled bashfully.

The host's voice ran through the room, "And the ladies lose for the first and last time tonight, but that was incredible playing from these gorgeous actresses. They truly are talented."

"Now, it's time for the last questions of the night, if you could, Kyoko-chan." Ren sat back and watched her through the screen.

"What is my blood type?"

"B, you are practical and a quick learner with attention to detail as well as very beautiful." He watched Kyoko blush a little and Kotonami roll her eyes.

"Name two of my favorite foods."

"You like Kyoto style foods. Your favorite is hamburger with egg and you prefer grilled fish over dried." He was smiling to himself pleased that he knew her so well though he wished he knew everything about her.

"What was my first acting role?"

Ren didn't remember her talking about her acting roles during the game but he did remembered the first time he played opposite her with her fractured ankle, "You were playing an heiress who was never allowed to leave the house but defied her parents' wishes."

"Um… no, I'm sorry. I played a school girl opposite my best friend here, Kotonami-san" Ren wanted to smack himself as he heard Kyoko uncertain and worried voice. She probably didn't talk about that.

"Tough luck there Fujiwara-kun, perhaps it won't be enough to get you eliminated. Thank you for playing with us!" The door opened behind them and the sound of the stage flooded in. The crowd was clapping wildly as he left. He again smiled and waved at the crowd and they seem to raise their cheers more. He put his finger to lips as a sign to keep quiet and they obeyed with love sick sighs.

Another commercial break started without Kyoko noticing. She was staring intently at her hands thinking about his answers. They bothered her. She remembers telling him about blood type, anyone could know things about that so the first answer wasn't strange. The second question was food, and perhaps he linked the facts of the first challenger's questions to his and came up with Kyoto food since that's where she grew up. But the last, bothered her the most. She spoke about her first job with Moko-san and he spoke about her first time she ever acted. 'How would he…."

"Hey," Kanae interrupted her thoughts, "you alright?" Kyoko looked up, blinking and just smiled brightly and nodded. The host's voice came back along with the cheers.

"It's time for the first elimination. We will cut down the challengers down to two where they will do a finally battle against each other for the change to give a final word to the lovely Kyoko-chan."

"Now Kyoko-chan, who are you going to eliminate first?" The host finally asked. Kyoko looked at Kanae and she held up two fingers. She agreed thoroughly. He was a very sore loser even if he was the only one to get all her questions right.

"Challenger two: Jo Mamoru"

"And the Champion has chosen, will the second challenger please come and show her what she missed out on." A tall man on the skinner side appeared from around the room. He had a pinched face but had a nice smile. It seemed like he calmed down since his loss because he bowed down in front of Kyoko and apologized sincerely. Kyoko bowed in her seat and accepted the apology. He smiled widely and then turned to leave, walking across the stage.

"Now we say goodbye to our Champion and bring out the challengers. Normally we would have them all on the stage while they battled for the Champion's attention but because of our extra special guest, we decided they would have to hide in the back room." Kyoko and Kanae were both ushered into the back room where they first were held. They sat down on the couch and waiting patiently. They could hear the extremely loud cheers even in their room as they were finally allowed to show their appreciation at the guest star.

"How dare they bring such a big star on the show when you are suppose to be the main attraction?!" Kanae sounded irritated, "They should have and a normal Champion for the big star on another show."

"Its ok, Moko-san. I'm sure they had their reasons."

_Back on the stage_

The show tried to make it where they had the two LME actors on different shows but Ren wouldn't have it any other way and everyone catered to the top actor of Japan.

The cried were thunderous as Ren and his challenger stepped onto the stage. Their partners were left in the side lines since the challenge didn't require them. Ren sat on the chair Kyoko used and charmed the crowd. Ren had a nice little wake up call when he realized his mistake with her last question. 'No more slip ups.' He told himself.

"Now it's time for the challengers to play against each other. The computer will randomly choose a game for them to play. To the challenger that wins, they will have a chance to hopefully persuade our Champion to pick them, while the other player will just have to hope that they made a lasting impression in their first round."

The large screen above started flickering through the three games repeatedly then finally settled on one, Fist of Fury.

"The winner will be chosen with their fist!" The crowed cheered and Hakama grinned. Hakama was sure he could beat the actor. He didn't show much skill with the game he choose.

"Ready, gentlemen?" Hakama choose the same fighter he picked before, that specializes in his kicks. Ren picked one that had specialized in more wrestling type moves. The fight started quickly as Hakama jumped into the air and came down at an angled attack. He landed his attack fully but as soon as he landed, Ren pulled him in a grab and bent over backwards stunning him to the ground. The wrestler turned around and stomped his foot on Hakama's fighter. He was just above half live when he got up again.

Ren smiled as his opponent made a huge mistake and kept the combat in close range. He fell to multiple grabs and he was able to take Hakama out, winning the first round. Unfortunately, Hakama learned from his mistakes and defeated Ren at long range and fast moves in the last two rounds.

The crowd boo'd and cried as Ren lost the challenge. Showing good sportsmanship, he held his hand out to his challenger and Hakama smiled and shook it. "Good match. Good luck tonight." Ren encouraged his competitor.

Hakama was thankful Kyoko didn't know who the star was. Usually the show would allow them to speak to the Champion in person in this round but since they had to keep both their identities quiet it was just a note. He could use this to his advantage. He can write the note just as he thinks Tsuruga Ren would write it, she will think it is him and will choose him for the date.

The show was called into another commercial and Kyoko and Kanae were back on the stage while the challengers went back to their rooms. The show came back and the host was standing beside her with an unsealed envelope.

"Welcome back! Here we have our Champion about the read the note from our winner of the last challenge, Hakama Takashi."

He handed her the letter and she opened it and read it. Kanae was standing beside her, reading over her shoulder when she snorted. It sounded like… Shotaru!

_I hope you will make the right decision and choose me. I know that we will have a great time together. I am talented and know how to make a girl happy and I can prove it to you time and time again._

Kyoko was astonished. She smiled brightly to the host and he paled a little. That was a dangerous smile.

The host coughed a little, "Um... Have you decided who to pick?"

Kyoko nodded while folding up the little note fighting the urge to tear it up. "Hai, I choose three!" No way in hell is she going to choose one if it was Sho.

The host smiled and there was an earsplitting cheer from the crowd. "Congratulations Kyoko-chan, you've won a date with THE Tsuruga Ren."

To stay that Kyoko was shocked is putting it mildly, even Kanae was stunned when the man turned the corner.


	5. The Vote

Chapter 5

Kyoko stared at her sempai in disbelief. He was the surprise guest?! How did he even… when… what?

Ren stood behind Kyoko with his hand on the back of her seat. She could feel his fingers barely touching her back and she stiffened but tried to keep her smile up in front of the camera.

The host was grinning like he was the one who won, "I bet that was unexpected. We tried our hardest to keep it a surprise and the look on your face says we succeeded! Now it is time to look at where you two will be going."

They turned towards the screen and there were three pictures. The first was a picture of a couple of people skiing, the second was a picture of huge park with lots of obstacles and the last was of a yacht. The host started to describe what each of the dates entailed.

"First, is an all day pass at the Niseko ski resort in Hokkaido. Niseko offers deep powerful challenging terrains. It is the most popular resort in Hokkaido and is well known by skiers and snowboarders throughout the world. You will also have reservations at the BD Café, where they have great food and entertainment to last into the night."

The park shot was shown next, "Second is a pass for two to the biggest paintball park in Japan, Deep Cover. It has 3km of various parks that allows full immersion into a battle field. Fight against a group or one on one. The park is separated into several areas that accommodate your battle preference." The pictures revealed a player hiding in the bushes in a heavy wooded area, then another hiding behind a truck in a small town like atmosphere and there was an indoor glow in the dark option for smaller fights.

"The last is a romantic dinner and a night of gambling or dancing on the yacht, Amaya." There were beautiful pictures of the yacht riding the ocean waves in the dark star night with people dancing in a grand ballroom. There was a shot of a large room with lots of people in formal wear gambling and having a good time at the tables then a fancy restaurant with pictures of rich elegant foods from other cultures as well as their own.

"We will now let the audience and our viewers pick the date for them. Text us at x65311 for the ski resort, x65322 for the Paintball Park, or x65333 for the yacht. Stay tuned in as we break for our last word from our sponsors."

Kyoko turned a glare at Ren and he smiled embarrassed, "Don't look at me like that. You picked me without even knowing it."

"Why are you even here!?" Kanae growled that one. Kyoko would never speak that way to her sempai.

Ren smiled his gentlemen's smile, "Just looking out for Mogami-san here." Kanae was quiet as Kyoko blushed looking down at her lap. She noticed the way Ren would look at her best friend and she had her reservations about it. Kyoko often came to her after being scared stupid from this man and she had to calm her down. Often she told Kyoko her thoughts that he may be in love with her but she always came out with an odd excuse as to why it wasn't true. But looking at him now, watching her face flush and his tall frame so very close to her, she knew she was right. This man was head over heels in love with her.

The show came back on with the host's voice flooding the area, "Now its time to see where you the viewers decided where they should go for their first date." The three pictures appeared on the screen again and this time a percentage appeared on top of them. The lowest number appeared first on the ski resort at 23%. Next, the yacht was shown at 35% and Ren was slightly disappointed. The winner was the paintball park at 42% of the votes.

"You have all chosen Deep Cover! We look forward to hearing the update on this date. Thank you all for joining us tonight in Player Match-Up! Join us again next week!"

The show ended and Ren leaned down as Kyoko stood up to leave. "When should we go on our date?"


	6. The Date

Chapter 6

It actually took about three weeks before they could go on the date. With both of their schedules being take up with Ren's movie as Cain Heel and his appearances. Kyoko had Setsu character along with Box-R and Bo, so finding a day where they were both able to do this was interesting to say the least. They were able to schedule the date Tuesday on the third week since the show.

Kyoko looked up everything she could on Paintball. She was even able to borrow camo clothes from the agency. She was wearing light grey camo pants with a matching long sleeve shirt. Since it was cold she wore another tighter long sleeve shirt underneath the baggy camo shirt, her old white running sneakers finished off the outfit.

There was a knock at her bedroom door, "Kyoko-chan, Tsuruga-san is here." It was 9am and they would have to drive about an hour to get there. She ate a light breakfast as to not weigh her down for the day. She stepped down stairs and into the restaurant to find Ren waiting patiently at the door. He was wearing almost the exact same thing she was.

"We match!" She walked up to him cheerily. The only thing different was a light grey bandana wrapped around his head. He smiled down at her looking adorable. Of course they matched, he made sure of it buying and leaving her outfit at LME. The last touch was in his pant pocket.

He nodded, "I have something for you, too." He pulled the matching mesh headband out of his pocket for her.

She took it and it was the same color as the rest of the clothes and she found it covered the top of your head with a mesh cloth and tied in the back. She fiddled with it for a moment trying to figure how to put it on.

"Allow me," She handed the headband back to him and she turned around. She blushed lightly as she felt his hands at her hair. He ran his fingers from her forehead back, combing her hair away from her face. If she could purr she would have been as his hands worked her hair back. After what she felt was way too soon he placed the front of the headband on her forehead and tied it at the back of her head. His strong fingers left her and that was her cue to turn around. She looked up at him and was blinded by his smile, his real smile.

"Just a little…" She paused as his hands came towards her face. Her breath was stilled as his fingers curved around her ears, forcing back loose strands of hair behind them, "There. Now we are team."

"Kyoko-chan!" She turned around at Okami-san voice. She held a camera and acted very much like the mothers she seen capturing every moment of their child's life on film. Kyoko smiled and stood in front of Ren. She flushed a little as his hand laid on her shoulder, his thumb actually touching her skin where the shirt didn't cover. They both smiled for the camera as Okami-san took a few pictures. They took off, settling in for the hour ride. Kyoko broke the silence.

"Have you ever done this before, Tsuruga-san?"

"I did once or twice when I was younger. I haven't since I started acting though. Are you worried?" Ren glanced over to her.

"Yes and no. I don't want to hold you down. Is it true that the little balls hurt?"

Ren nodded laughing, "Yeah, I remember I was covered in bruises the first time I played but I didn't really notice till after everything was over." His eyes were sparkling at the memory and Kyoko wanted to ask more about his past, "It really depends on the situation, where they shot you and what type of gun shot it. If I remember correctly, I was shot at pretty close range and it didn't hurt but one that was farther away left a mark." Now Kyoko looked worried.

"Don't worry it's like someone pinched you." She looked confused so he smiled and quickly pinched her thigh. She screeched at the sudden pain and was blushing beat red as he laughed.

"That was mean, Tsuruga-san!" She had a look of determination and she pinched his bicep hard.

"Hey! I'm driving." He rubbed the spot she pinched pouting lightly.

Kyoko looked satisfied, "It serves you right, surprising me like that."

Ren glanced at her expression who already forgot about the pain, "But you already forgot about the pain, didn't you. It's like that in the field. The adrenaline is up and you forget about the small pain fast."

Kyoko thought about it for a moment and turned a dazzling smile to him. How that smile tore him up inside. He wanted to pull over and take her in his arms, kiss her and give her the world, but he kept driving instead.

They spoke about what they were going to do. They were to rent the equipment at Deep Cover and see what options they had to play with. He asked about her current projects and she happily chatted about her characters and certain scenes she found annoying or amusing. He was happy just to hear her talk about her time away from him. She was so enthusiastic when talking he didn't care what she spoke about, even when she was scolding him for not eating.

They arrived sooner than expected; Ren was driving a little fast since he was distracted with his little angel beside him. They entered the main building which was empty except for the single man behind the counter. She was shocked at the equipment available and their prices. Luckily everything was being paid for by the show so she didn't have to feel uncomfortable with Ren paying for it as he always ended up doing. What she didn't know is that he would be more than happy to buy anything if it meant spending time with her like this.

There were several options for them. They could join a group with another team to do 5vs5 on the fields outside or they can do the indoor one with 1vs1 or 2vs2. Ren didn't want to fight against her nor did he want to share her with anyone else if he didn't have to.

"We'll take the 2vs2 if it's possible."

The guy behind the counter nodded. He was stealing glances at Kyoko as she was bending over looking at the guns in a glass case. The baggy camo pants were loose but it could only be taken so far, you could see the curve of her ass and notice the muscle she used as she squatted down to take a closer look. Ren took a step in front of the man blocking his view.

The guy coughed lightly at being caught, "The team is out right now on a 5vs5. It will be about 20 minutes before they are ready to play ya. They were eager for a 2vs2 as well. You can take that time to suit up."

Kyoko and Ren rented everything and since it was all paid for, they picked the best equipment they had. Kyoko ended up with a small gun with the nitrogen air tank sitting at her hip. Both their guns were electric, had a longer barrel for higher accuracy and an automatic feeder for faster shots. His gun however had the nitrogen air tank directly attached to it since he could carry the extra weight without issue. They both had an extra round of paintballs for their hoppers. The last thing on their belt was cleaning supplies should paint impede their vision.

They were both fixed up with black masks and gloves. They were shown how the guns work and the rules of the match. "You picked a deathmatch so that means the team left standing is the winner. A clean shot anywhere on your person is considered a hit and therefore you are "dead"." He eyed the very tall target of Tsuruga Ren and pressed his lips. He'd bet money that he would be the first to go most of the time. "There is one judge for this one. If you like you can practice just inside the door till your team comes in."

It wasn't long before they were called to play. They entered the area and were given green paint balls and neon green vests. The opposite team was wearing neon orange. They stepped inside the main building and it was very dark. The obstacles were all covered in multicolor glow in the dark paint. They looked at each other and the light grey was slightly brightened but it paled in comparison to the green vests. The other team looked just as bright in their neon orange.

"Isn't the point of the game so you blend in with the surroundings?" Kyoko whispered to her partner.

"With this one, it would take forever if you can't see your target so they make you bright. Don't worry, it will still prove difficult."

A man with a large white shield stood in front of them. That was their judge. There was no mistaking him and if you did, he had protection from your assault. "You know the rules of the game. Dead Man Walking* is not allowed. If you are out, hold your gun up and yell "OUT" and get out of the field. Feel free to call out a Paint Check when you like. When you hear my whistle you may start. If you hear it again, stop. If there is a cross fire with both getting hit, both are out. Never take off your PPE until you are outside of this room. Are we understood?"

Everyone nodded. Kyoko was nervous. She was looking around the area; it was two stories with a lot of cover and places to hide and climb. She glanced up at Ren and he was the picture of perfect calm. The other team where moving around eager to start. Both were men and it seemed like they had all their own equipment stating they come often.

"Alright into the field, when you hear my whistle that is the start of the battle. No excuses if you are out within the first three seconds." Ren and Kyoko took off as did the other team. The place was huge even if it was just one story but this was two. Remembering Yashiro's tactics, Ren wanted to go up.

"Climb up here." There was a rope wall climbing up to the second level. With their guns at their backs, he climbed up it faster since he had longer limbs but she was strong and was right beside him crawling over the ledge. The whistle blew and they had to roll away from the ledge as paint came towards them. Kyoko's heart was pounding as she crawled to the low wall to the right. She looked down onto the field and saw one of the players.

"10 o'clock" She whispered as loud as possible remembering how she would play the shooter games with Moko-san. More shots were fired at her as she peeked over the side and they hit the wall she was hiding behind. There was orange paint splatter on her gun and she couldn't help but laugh nervously. She crawled to the other end of the wall, stood up and fired at the direction of the player, missing completely. However, he ran from his spot and Ren shot him once he left.

"OUT" was yelled out from that area and they watched the player leave with a bright green splat mark on his shoulder. They looked around for the other player but they couldn't see him. She understood now how the bright colors helped. It was so dark even with all the glow paint on the walls. It would be impossible to see anyone in this if they weren't wearing the vests.

"Let's move." Ren spoke next to her and she nodded. They were moving north on the second story ledge running across the open areas as fast as they could. As they reached the corner they were forced to jump down a few yards. Kyoko was first, jumping down easily as he covered her. As soon as he appeared to jump a shot sounded and hit his gut over his stomach.

"Damn. OUT" Ren yelled and held his gun up. He couldn't say anything to her, once he was dead they went silent, another rule. He made his way out as fast as he could jumping and weaving over obstacles. He reached the outside room where the other player was waiting and took off his mask. His eyes widened as he noticed who stepped out of the field.

"NO WAY, MAN! You're Tsuruga Ren! I was killed by Tsuruga Ren! DUDE! My girlfriend loves you. Can I get your autograph?" Ren smiled his gentlemen's smile at the man.

"Sure, What's her name?" He grabbed a pen and paper with the place's logo on it.

"Fujioka Ayame," Ren wrote a note to her and handed it to him. The guy took the paper nodding in excitement. "This is great; she is going to love me. Hey, uh, could I get a picture too for proof, please?"

Ren nodded and posed with the man. The front desk attended took the man's phone and quickly snapped a phone of them together. Not long after, the man's team mate came out with green paint on his chest. Ren turned to find Kyoko following closely behind with the judge. As soon as they reached the area, she took off her mask. Her face was sweating but she had a huge grin on her face. She half ran over to Ren breathing hard.

"That was sooo much fun! After you left, I stayed low and kept to the little areas. He gave away his position when he shot you so I circled around as he crept forward to where we landed. When he noticed I wasn't there, he turned and I shot him! We won!" She was squirming around as the adrenaline ran through her body. He wanted to hug her in congratulations but refrained.

"Can we play again?!" she asked.

"Well, that is up to the other team." Ren replied and looked over to the team as they were looking at the picture the man took, "You guys game for another round?" Ren spoke up.

The first guy nodded, "Hell yeah. We aren't going easy on ya, just because you are Tsuruga Ren, though."

"Good. I'd hate it if you did." Ren and Kyoko slipped their masks back on. Since it was a Tuesday it was slow and they were the only ones wanting the indoor park.

The second round didn't go as well. The stuck close to the ground and Kyoko was the first to take one of them out but was the first to die as well. Ren saw the other player move to his right and shot out but caught the wall. "PAINT CHECK" was yelled out and he heard the whistle blow. A paint check was used to determine whether or not it was considered a hit. Apparently Ren hit so close to his target, the great deal of paint landed on the man but he didn't feel it so he wanted to make sure. The referee came out with his bright shield and declared it negative.

They were ordered to scatter from their spot and a minute later, the whistle blew again. Apparently Ren picked a bad spot because he was shot in the leg as soon as they began. "OUT" and the game was over.

As he left the area, he found Kyoko talking to the opponent. He felt a small pang of jealousy but tried to swallow it. He approached Kyoko and it fell away once she looked up at him with eagerly. "Did you get him?"

Ren looked at her sad, "I didn't, sorry." He tilled his leg towards her showing the orange splat mark and she just gave him a comforting smile. Ren didn't care the moment her hands took his forearm. "Aww, it's ok Tsuruga-san, next time!"

Kyoko continued, "They already agreed they would play again. Is that ok?" She looked up at him hopefully.

"We can play all day if you like, I don't mind, we have the day together, remember?" Ren answered and was blessed with a delighted cheer.

The third round lasted a great deal longer. Ren and Kyoko agreed to split up, he took the high ground with the larger covers and she took low. They covered more ground that way and found their first target easily. The guy saw Kyoko and ran towards Ren. Kyoko fired several shots but all missed their target. She drove him to the corner Ren was at and he jumped down and shot him.

"OUT." Getting into the game, Kyoko let out a little victory yell and held her hand for a high-five which Ren returned quickly. He was ecstatic at how well they were playing together but didn't get to live in the glow as he saw an orange streak from the corner of his eye.

"Kyoko, Down!" He pulled her down and they crashed on the floor as the paint balls hit the wall where they were standing. The air was knocked out of him as she landed on top of him.

Kyoko yelped as she was pulled down, she closed her eyes for the impact but all she could feel was a warm solid body beneath her. Her hands moved across his chest gliding over his body. Even through all his clothes and her gloves she could fell the definition of his chest under her hand. She blushed as she realized that he had called her by her first name. She heard him grunt in pain when she moved.

"Are you hurt, Tsuruga-san?" She was worried and didn't make her voice as quiet as she should.

He whispered, "No, but your gun is digging into my rib." She didn't realize she was still clinging on to it. She laughed while moved the gun away from him.

"Sorry, Tsu…" Suddenly he wrapped his arm around her waist and rolled her over against the wall. She heard his gun fire and then the other man yelling, "OUT" followed by the end whistle. She was pinned against the wall and his body and she found that she didn't really mind. His scent was filling her lungs being so close to him, having him all around her. Just like her, he was sweating and it just made him more intoxicating.

She felt him move away. Opening her eyes, she looked up at him. He was crouching down with a hand held out to her. "Mogami-san? The game is over. We won." His words were muffled by the mask and she couldn't see his face very well but she could tell he was smiling at her. She tried to clear her head from her Ren exposure and took his hand. He helped her up and didn't let go over hand till they left the field.

'It was just to help her out.' Ren told himself. He wanted to stay in that spot for the rest of his life if he could. She didn't fight or roll off of him when she laid on top of him which excited him to no end. Any longer in that position and she would have felt his "gun" digging into her.

Once they left the area, they noticed a few people in the lobby. The attendant walked over to them handing them bottled water as they took off their masks. Gasps and sighs were sounded as Ren's face came into view.

"Hey you've got some more opponents wanting to play you two. You game?" Ren sighed. No doubt that picture was sent out. He figured this day was too good to be true. Looking down at Kyoko, it seemed like the day just got better in her eyes.

"Yeah! I'm game. You ok with that, Tsuruga-san?" Ren couldn't help but agree but he pulled the attendant aside.

"I don't mind but I came here to play with her." The attendant nodded.

"No problem, sir. If any come in today to stand and ogle, we will kick them out. Players only." Ren thanked him and put his mask back on.

The day was LOOONNGG to say the least. More people were showing up every time they exited the field and the games were getting shorter as the more inexperienced players started to play just for a chance at playing with Tsuruga Ren. Soon they didn't bother to leave the field as they just waited for the next group to come in.

It was 4pm by the time Kyoko was so tired and hungry she had the courage to speak, "Tsuruga-san, I'm exhausted. I'm ready to go when you are." Every muscle in her body was screaming to stop and she was past the point of feeling hunger. Ren was actually ready to eat himself.

"I agree. I'll tell the owner, we are leaving." Yup, the owner was here. The attended was panicking over the number of people showing up to play that he called him in for assistance. He made sense of the large about of people coming in to play; he had several of his employees take care of them as they played rounds and rounds of paintball with their fans. Yes, their fans, one person recognized Kyoko as being Natsu from Box-R and took a picture of her as well. More fans of hers appeared as well and the line was just huge. The owner was tickled pink at today's profits and was wondering if they would come in every month.

Ren had to politely decline. They were going to have to try and reserve the place in private if they ever wanted to play again. He spoke to the owner and nodded. They were waiting in his private office, as the crowd dispersed.

Kyoko held a small mirror in her left hand and a wet towel with the right. She was scrubbing the paint off her neck and jaw. She had pulled off the headband and the clothes would have to wait till they got into the washer but they could at least clean up a little off their skin. She ran the cloth across the back of her neck blindly trying to take off the paint. She seemed satisfied and held out the mirror to Ren who was sitting on the desk facing her.

"You missed a lot." She looked confused and brought the mirror back to herself.

"Where?" She twisted her neck around trying to find more paint.

"Here," He took the cloth from her hands and rewet it with the water bottle over the trash can. He gently rubbed a spot right below her right ear where her jaw dipped back, then moved the cloth up around her ear lobe.

"Turn around," He whispered softly. She did so and closed her eyes as he gently wiped off the paint around her hair line behind her ear. His fingers were in her hair for the second time that day, moving it aside to clean her up. She felt the water run down her skin under her shirt as he worked his way achingly slow across the back of her neck. She let out a shaky breath as he dipped down into her shirt, his knuckles grazing her skin as he finished up.

"All done." He said as he pulled away and took the mirror.

She turned and he had a small smile on his lips. She bit her lip slightly watching him use the same towel to wipe up his face. She blushed slightly and convinced herself to ask, "May I help you?"

She didn't see him grow still from shock but heard him speak, "Please," and held out the towel to her. She repeated his steps but had to climb onto the wooden desk to reach him. She was on her knees with his broad back to her. She untied his headband and slipped it off. His dark hair was weighed down from today's activities so it didn't fall like it usually did. She gave in and ran her hands into his hair a little. It was damp from sweat and water he poured over himself. She took a deep breath and was filled with his scent. She licked her lips and pressed the towel to his skin.

She was much gentler to him than she was to herself. She wiped the rough cloth gently across his skin, rubbing away the tiny specks of paint. She placed her hand on his shoulder to keep her self steady as she moved along his skin.

She felt this was taking too long and laid the cloth flat across her hand, since her hand was so small she could cover more area than working each spot. She pressed her hand on the side of his neck and swiped the cloth down, her fingertips sliding under the collar of his shirt. She heard a sound come from him and she stopped for a moment but continued when he didn't say anything. She moved the cloth to the back of neck slightly under his shirt just as he did for her and his head fell forward.

There was a small flake of paint left on his skin and she ran her thumb across it, removing it. Again another sound was made but she ignored it. She moved in closer, leaning against him and moved the towel forward on his shoulder. She was so close to the edge of the desk that she fell fully against him. He pulled his right arm back and she caught herself with it. His hand landed low her thigh and he twisted to look back at her. His face was very close to hers and she saw the one face she could never handle.

Her eyes went wide and she licked her lips. She saw his eyes moved down to her lips at the movement, but before either had time to speak the door opened and they were told it was safe to leave. Kyoko watched him close his eyes and take a deep breath.

"Are you ok, Mogami-san?" She nodded but couldn't speak. He helped her get off the desk and followed her out. Before leaving Ren turned to the attendant, "Is there anyplace where can eat around here?"

The attendant seemed to think about it, "There's a good okonomiyaki shop not too far from here."

Ren turned to Kyoko still flustered and asked, "That good?" The thought of food made her forget her bewilderment and she nodded vigorously. They got directions and headed to the place. It wasn't very populated so that was good. He took out his sunglasses and cap and they went inside. They took a table towards the back and the ingredients were given to them.

"What are you going to put in yours?" Kyoko took a bowl and added in the batter then started grabbing ingredients.

"Actually I was hoping I could eat what ever you cooked. I've never been too good at these things."

Kyoko paused after dumping shrimp into her mix, "Oh! Is there anything you don't like?"

"No, I'm fine with everything here. Please put in anything you like." She smiled and put in a lot more veggies.

She mixed it all up in her little bowl and poured it out on the oiled cook top. The smell of the food made even his mouth water.

"Oh, I'm so hungry. But it was a lot of fun!" She exclaimed drooling over the sizzling food.

The food smelled delicious but his eyes were on Kyoko, "That was great. We should go out more often." She looked up at him and blushed. She took the two spatulas and flipped the pancake as she rolled his words around in her mind. 'He wanted to go out again?' She enjoyed spending time with him but surely he didn't mean as a couple. He must just need a friend to go out and do fun things with like today.

She smiled up at him and nodded, "I'd be happy to." Ren was shocked that she agreed so easily. Did she understand what he said? Probably not. 'Lets test the waters.'

"Perhaps we can go out on that yacht next time." That was the most romantic option they had and he wished they had picked that one for them; however, he was sure this one was the safest choice for them. It proved correct.

Kyoko was adding the final toppings on the okonomiyaki, the sauce, smoked benito, aonori and dried seaweed on top. She cut it up and served the first piece to Ren. "That place was very lovely, but that would be more for the girl you like, Tsuruga-san."

He snorted, 'of course' well at least she agreed to see him personally even as just friends. He took his first bite and it was heavenly. He watched Kyoko devour the food. She didn't eat since this morning so she was ravenous. She made another with pure veggies then another with pork instead of seafood. He ate half of the first two but only one slice of the last and that was beyond his limit. She didn't seem to mind when he stopped eating since she seemed content once she finished the third.

He paid for the meal and they headed home. It was growing dark and she fell asleep by the time he arrived at Daruma-ya. He parked, turned towards her and unbuckled her seat belt. She was curled towards him, her sweet face peacefully sleeping.

"Mogami-san." He spoke softly.

"Hmm…" She moaned and he smiled.

"Kyoko, you're home."

"Mmhmm." She agreed but refused to wake up. His fingers caressed her cheek slightly causing her to shift in her seat but still stayed blissfully asleep.

He slipped out the car and walked around to her side. She still didn't wake up even after opening the passenger side door. He slipped his arms under her and picked her up. She moved to curl against his chest as he stood up. He didn't remember her being such a heavy sleeper. He walked up to the side door with her in his arms. He kicked the door lightly while staring at her face. The side door lead into the kitchen, where he hoped someone was there to hear. It wasn't long that Taisho came and opened the door. His stern face never changing ushering them inside.

He looked at the sleeping girl in his arms and motioned to the stairs, "Second door on the right." Ren nodded and made his way to the stairs. He passed by Okami-san and bowed slightly. She just smiled at him as he slipped off his shoes and carried Kyoko upstairs. She turned to her husband and smiled. They both saw the way he cared for their "daughter" and had no problems with him.

Ren carefully walked upstairs and opened her door. This was his first time in her room. It was very clean and didn't have much in it. He frowned lightly at the much larger poster of Fuwa than his; however he noticed all the markings and darts all over it, while his was almost pristine. He smirked and lowered himself slowly to the ground trying not to wake her up. He put her on his thigh to free one arm and pulled back the sheets. He lifted her small frame and set her on her futon. He moved down and slipped off her shoes and socks. She curled onto her side as he pulled the thin sheet over her.

He stayed crouched over her and sighed watching her body move as she breathed softly. As he stood, he could feel his muscles argue with him. He was going to need a hot bath to get soothe his aches away.

"Ren," he stopped with his hand at the door and turned to look down at her. She had turned onto her back, her head slightly turned towards him. She wasn't awake but he heard his name. Her voice was so soft he thought maybe he imagined it.

"Mogami-san?" He stepped away from the door and kneeled beside her to make sure he was right. A minute passed and there was nothing. He twisted to move away and there it was again.

"Ren… stay." 'Did she know I was here?' He shook his head, impossible but… but she was dreaming of him. He turned fully towards her again.

"I wish I could." He spoke softly as he bent over her. He pressed his lips onto hers with the barest of touches. He pulled back slightly, his face still a breath away from hers and pressed his lips together in regret, "I shouldn't have done that." he whispered to himself.

He watched her lick her lips, seeing her little pink tongue lick her lips from his kiss was just too much. He closed that distance again and kissed her, her lower lip between his for fuller contact. She responded to him this time and he pulled back quickly in shock. He stared at her for a moment, but she was still asleep.

He shook his head at his vivid imagination, "Good night, Kyoko." He stood up, turned and left without looking back should he be tempted again.

Kyoko open her eyes as soon as the door closed behind him and blushed, "Good night, Tsuruga-san."

*****

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed it. Thanks for reading. **

***Dead Man Walking = This is when a player who has not been hit walks beside someone who has been hit to change their position on the field to get closer to the enemy. It is sneaky since it's a moving obstacle for them to move freely without much threat of getting hit. Some players don't like it and I figured this course wouldn't like it. Granted I'd like to see Ren try and use Kyoko like that... pfft.  
**


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